CSTO to discuss Armenia’s future membership, chairman says

The future of Armenia’s membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) will be subject to thorough consideration by the alliance’s top leadership, Viktor Vasilyev, the current chairman of the CSTO Permanent Council, has stated.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, he said: “Naturally, the issue of Armenia’s future membership in the CSTO will also receive the closest attention and be discussed by the organisation’s top leadership,” Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated that Armenia may be stripped of its voting rights in the working bodies of the CSTO due to unpaid membership contributions, which could remain in effect until the outstanding debt is fully settled.

Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said under Article 25 of the Organization’s Charter, in the event a state fails to fulfil its obligations, certain measures may be applied.

“In particular, if there is a budget debt lasting for two years, this includes the suspension of the right to nominate citizens of that state for quota-based positions, as well as the deprivation of voting rights in the working bodies until the debt is fully repaid,” Zakharova noted.

Under the provisions cited, member states that fail to meet financial obligations may face restrictions within the organisation’s institutional framework, including limitations on representation and participation in decision-making bodies until arrears are cleared.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov